The IPL resumes on Saturday, but there are doubts over foreign players and the extended schedule has sparked a showdown with international cricket.

The IPL will now end on 3 June, nine days later than planned, putting it on a collision course with the English summer of cricket and preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s from 11-15 June.

An England ODI series against the West Indies starts on 29 May while the South Africa and Australia squads are due to begin build-up for their WTC final before the end of May.

CSA says its Test players must leave India by an originally agreed date of May 26.

“Our initial agreement with the IPL and the Indian board was that our players would return [for national duty] on the 26th,” said Proteas coach Shukri Conrad, who has eight members of his Test squad contracted to IPL teams. “As it stands, we’re not budging on this.”

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The IPL was scheduled to finish on 25 May, but then the deadly conflict between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan erupted, causing the competition to be suspended last week.

Many overseas players went home and it remains to be seen if all will come back for the decisive stages of the world’s richest cricket tournament.

Australia’s WTC final squad is due to depart for a training camp on 29 May.

The country’s cricket authorities have taken a less rigid stance, with captain Pat Cummins among those expected to return to India.

However his Sunrisers Hyderabad side, who also have Travis Head, cannot make the IPL playoffs and will play their final game on 25 May.

“Team management will work through preparation implications for the World Test Championship final for those players who choose to play,” Cricket Australia said Tuesday.

Australia’s squad also includes Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals) and Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), who can both make the playoffs, which begin on 29 May.

England have five players from their ODI squad in the IPL and are still deciding how to respond to the hastily revamped schedule.

Former captain Jos Buttler plays for the table-topping Gujarat Titans, who look certain to advance, while Will Jacks (Mumbai Indians) and Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) could also be needed for the playoffs.

England cricket chiefs are keen to show support for the IPL and the BCCI but also want to put out a full-strength team.

Proteas pace bowler Kagiso Rabada, who has just returned from a drugs ban, also plays for Gujarat.

Fellow Proteas Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs may all have to leave before the playoffs because South Africa have a four-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe beginning on 3 June.

The players are stuck between their well-paying IPL franchise and their country.

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Bengaluru will host the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday in the first of 13 regular-season matches remaining.

The Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad are already out of the playoff race.

© Agence France-Presse

Photo: BCCI